Excel Closing Its Doors

[RustyJC]

Peterson Industries made the following post this morning in the Excel Owners' Group forum over on another RVing website:

Dear Excel Family Members,

Peterson Industries, Inc. has been a pillar of the RV industry and our community for nearly 50 years. Founded in 1966 by Vaughn & Leonard Peterson, the Excel brand has survived crisis upon crisis and always bounced back. Beginning with the fuel shortages in 1974, when people stood in line for hours just to get gas. Followed by the interest crisis of 1979, when interest rates jumped to a staggering 21%.

Next, we had a fire in 1983 that burned our main plant to the ground. Operating out of 5 locations around Smith Center, we produced our 1st unit within 30 days after the fire.

Then came 9/11 and the softening of the RV markets during the Gulf war.

And finally, the greatest recession to hit America since the 1930’s, caused by the sub-prime mortgage crisis that began in 2007 and lasted for a staggering 6 years for the RV industry. Coming into the 2007 recession, Peterson Industries was positioned quite well to sustain a moderate downturn. This however, was in no way “moderate”! The recession began with approximately 15 RV manufacturers building in the “high end” market, until finally there were only 2 left. DRV and Excel.

After a diligent search seeking a buyer or investor proved fruitless, I am so sorry to say that the last 7 years has left Peterson Industries undercapitalized and unable to continue.

Therefore, we regret to inform you, our valued family members that Peterson Industries is closing our doors, effective immediately.

On behalf of Vaughn, Duana, Bryan, Curtis, and all the employees, we want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for your loyalty and for giving us an opportunity to be a part of your lives.

Words cannot express our gratitude… We will miss you all so very much!

Rusty

[huntram]

Ken,

I seriously looked at the HH but after the first time Mike quit making them he stopped making the floor plan we liked.

My good friend Bill Gehr who writes articles in Trailer Life and does the "Ask RV Bill" article in 1000 Trails Trailblazer magazine had a HH. His experience was that in cool weather (30 degrees) our 2011 kept much warmer then his HH.

He ended up trading in for a 2011 36FWS because of it.

BTW, it's 87 outside right now in SoCal and the bedroom air (13.5) only is on although it has been off for awhile. It just cycled back on. It is a cool 70 degrees in the living room of my rig.

You may have had an quality issue with your 2012 because they were getting ready to close down...

Either way I know NuWa made very high quality rigs as did Excel and Carriage. Lifestyle continues that tradition as does Mobile Suites but I am concerned with the Thor (Heartland) buyout.

Blessings,
Brian

TXiceman wrote:
Yep, I forgot the SeeLevel monitors and Big Foot Quadra leveling system.

The trailer is quiet and draft free. We seldom need to run the furnace and do well with one 1500 Watt heater and sometimes add a 900 Watt heater. This past summer were were in NE Louisiana...same place we were for the previous summer in our 2012 Cameo. The 40' HH was easier to keep cool in 99 degF weather than was the Cameo. The HH let the A/C unit cycle off and on during the afternoon while the Cameo A/C ran continuously.

The MSRP on the HH was $153,000.

Ken

[TXiceman]

Yep, I forgot the SeeLevel monitors and Big Foot Quadra leveling system.

The trailer is quiet and draft free. We seldom need to run the furnace and do well with one 1500 Watt heater and sometimes add a 900 Watt heater. This past summer were were in NE Louisiana...same place we were for the previous summer in our 2012 Cameo. The 40' HH was easier to keep cool in 99 degF weather than was the Cameo. The HH let the A/C unit cycle off and on during the afternoon while the Cameo A/C ran continuously.

The MSRP on the HH was $153,000.

Ken

[RECVEH2005]

To TXiceman:

And don't forget the Bigfoot leveling system! That's one of the major reasons for our HH purchase. If I were in the market for another fiver, I wouldn't be without it. I also appreciate the much more accurate holding tank monitors. We saved a long time for the HH and it is worth it to us. However, I understand that there are different items of importance to each of us.

Mike

[pcm1959]

huntram wrote:
We can go back and forth all day long, I just know that my 2011 Cameo is heads and heels above the $50k units I see out there. I'm glad you think you are happy with them! Mine listed for $87,500. I paid $57,000 so I didn't pay much more, but the quality is so much more with the double stacked rolled steel frames. I see the brochures that say the R-factor insulation is even higher then mine, but I talk to the owners who have two heaters on in 35 degree weather and are still cold and we have just our fireplace on and are cozy!
I have people who complain about how noisy the park is we are at (urban area), and then come into our coach even with the door open and comment how quiet it is.
They have astro-foil in the windows and have both airs on, we don't but usually only have one air (smaller bedroom) on unless it hits 100 plus.

Theirs don't even offer disk brakes ours did and does. Ours had auto hydraulic Bigfoot levelers stock.

Really sad to Excel go! Not to many high end ones left. Our friend is ready to purchase in about a year and fulltime and he is really disappointed about what is left! Not much quality for a person to live in. 😞

Brian

Ditto on the Cameo solid quality. We had a 2011 Cameo 31ksls for 2 years. Loved the feel of it so much that we traded it for an ordered 2014 Lifestyle LS36fw.
The bottom line is....1) buy what you like in the price range you can afford, 2) don't hold it against anyone that they spent more or less than you did or their RV. Its the same with cars. They all do the same thing....get from point a to point b, burn fuel, and depreciate. Yet you can spend $30k for a Hyundai or $80k for a Benz.
I have no regrets for spending the purchase price of my Lifestyle. I know its a quality rig and will last a long time due to some its unique build characteristics. I'm sure Excel owners feel the same way. Sorry to see the company go but I'm sure those who have an Excel know that they have a rig with lasting quality. Phillip

[huntram]

We can go back and forth all day long, I just know that my 2011 Cameo is heads and heels above the $50k units I see out there. I'm glad you think you are happy with them! Mine listed for $87,500. I paid $57,000 so I didn't pay much more, but the quality is so much more with the double stacked rolled steel frames. I see the brochures that say the R-factor insulation is even higher then mine, but I talk to the owners who have two heaters on in 35 degree weather and are still cold and we have just our fireplace on and are cozy!
I have people who complain about how noisy the park is we are at (urban area), and then come into our coach even with the door open and comment how quiet it is.
They have astro-foil in the windows and have both airs on, we don't but usually only have one air (smaller bedroom) on unless it hits 100 plus.

Theirs don't even offer disk brakes ours did and does. Ours had auto hydraulic Bigfoot levelers stock.

Really sad to Excel go! Not to many high end ones left. Our friend is ready to purchase in about a year and fulltime and he is really disappointed about what is left! Not much quality for a person to live in. 😞

Brian

[TXiceman]

bobx2 wrote:

drfife wrote:

bobx2 wrote:
Maybe it was the perception that they were so much better than the rest that they just priced themselves out of the market??? Are they really worth $50K more than a very comparable unit? I don't think so, and obviously the majority agree with me. As the market adjusts, so must you adapt with it. If you are not willing to do so, you do not survive.

What "comparable unit" to an Excel is $50K less?

I guess I should have known that an Excel owner would jump in and be offended when someone suggests that there may be other units out there that are just as functional without having paid an inflated price for a name. Offense wasn't intended, it's just the facts of life. I wouldn't pay 100K for a unit when I could buy one for 50K that suits me just as well, and functions just as well. That must hold true for most others as well, otherwise Excel would still be, shall we say, Excelling.

There is no way you can find a $50K trailer with the quality of a HitchHiker or and Excel or a Mobile Suites.

You may well find a cheaper trailer that will hold up to the weekend a 2 week vacation use for a few years, but that trailer will not do well for full time use. You will not get Mor/Ryde IS suspension, G rated tires, over-sized brakes, 22 cu.ft residential refrigerator with 3000Watt pure sine wave inverter, 4 batteries and solar charger, dual pane windows, heat pumps, sleep number matress, two awning (one is electric), 14" powder-coated frame, washer-drier, all wood cherry cabinets, NO particle board, better quality furniture and floors, LED lights through out, MCD sbades, 5 speed vent hood, sealed surface gas range with electric ignition, convection microwave, more than adequate drawers and storage closets and radiant heat barrier.

All of these nice items add to the cost and weight. All this items are nice for full time living.

Many folks are happy with the new $50K trailer, but for my money, I would go out shopping for a nice 3 to 5 year old higher end trailer. This are a much better deal.

Ken

[TXiceman]

RECVEH2005 wrote:
We're glad we don't have to go out and look for a new fiver. We're happy with our 2013 HitchHiker. You all have made some very good points as to why the small fairly high-end manufacturers have gone out of business. We're old enough that our HH will be our last RV.

Donna & Mike

Ditto

Ken

[drfife]

bobx2 wrote:
....I guess I should have known that an Excel owner would jump in and be offended when someone suggests that there may be other units out there that are just as functional without having paid an inflated price for a name. Offense wasn't intended, it's just the facts of life. I wouldn't pay 100K for a unit when I could buy one for 50K that suits me just as well, and functions just as well. That must hold true for most others as well, otherwise Excel would still be, shall we say, Excelling.

You don't have to be rude and condescending in your replies.

I have a extremely tricked out 2013 Excel with full body paint and almost every option PI offered.

I guarantee I could not find a comparable, new 5th wheel with the same features, options, and construction for $37K.

I asked a question:
What "comparable unit" to an Excel is $50K less?
, which you did not answer.

Comparable must include features, option, construction, durability and expected longevity.

[bobx2]

drfife wrote:

bobx2 wrote:
Maybe it was the perception that they were so much better than the rest that they just priced themselves out of the market??? Are they really worth $50K more than a very comparable unit? I don't think so, and obviously the majority agree with me. As the market adjusts, so must you adapt with it. If you are not willing to do so, you do not survive.

What "comparable unit" to an Excel is $50K less?

I guess I should have known that an Excel owner would jump in and be offended when someone suggests that there may be other units out there that are just as functional without having paid an inflated price for a name. Offense wasn't intended, it's just the facts of life. I wouldn't pay 100K for a unit when I could buy one for 50K that suits me just as well, and functions just as well. That must hold true for most others as well, otherwise Excel would still be, shall we say, Excelling.

[RECVEH2005]

We're glad we don't have to go out and look for a new fiver. We're happy with our 2013 HitchHiker. You all have made some very good points as to why the small fairly high-end manufacturers have gone out of business. We're old enough that our HH will be our last RV.

Donna & Mike

[colliehauler]

RobertRyan wrote:

colliehauler wrote:
Wow first Nuwa now Excel only New Horizon left in Kansas.

So much for a booming RV market

Thor and Forest River are cranking them out entry to mid level market.

[RobertRyan]

colliehauler wrote:
Wow first Nuwa now Excel only New Horizon left in Kansas.

So much for a booming RV market

[TXiceman]

Duplicate

[TXiceman]

We had two Carriage Cameos and the 2008 was not as glizty as the 2012, the 2008 was better built. We had looked at Heartland Land marks and were not impressed. The same lack of impression on quality for the Redwood trailers.

They were just lacking in the fit and finish and did not seem as solid. We settled on the HitchHiker Champagne over a Mobile Suites. While the HH Champagne is missing some of the glitz, it is a solid trailer

Last fall a fellow full timer in the campground had a Redwood and the front left side was cracked and the siding pulling out of the trim and leaking. It was TWO years old and the answer he got was ...it is out of warranty...your problem. He was looking to unload the turkey and was looking at used DRV, Carriage, Excel and HH.

I for one will spend a bit more to get a better quality. I doubt if I will ever go the route of a New Horizon. Now the only real choice for the price point without going to a New Horizons is DRV. Lifestyle is coming along, but has a few things to iron out. I do not look for Redwood to improve due to Tbors business plans. Hopefully Thor will see the value of the DRV quality and leave them alone.

Ken

Ken